Frostpunk 2 is the newest creation from 11bits studios, developer and publisher, as well as the logical continuation of Frostpunk, a society survival game, in which you command the last city on Earth, New London, in a frozen post-apocalypse! Similarly, in its sequel, scheduled for release on September 20, 2024, the objectives will be the same, but with the addition of completely new mechanics as well as factors such as optimized graphics.

The goal here is clear, to elevate the level of everything we know related to survival, city-building strategy, a game that was already complex becomes even more so with its sequel. I mean, if it would already be extremely complicated currently, think about how it would be 30 years after a snowstorm that devastated the planet, with few resources and having to make VERY difficult decisions.

To give you an idea, playing the main narrative, some differences were measured, in addition to the graphics, instead of starting with a small population, here, right from the start, we will have to manage many individuals, there will be more than 3 thousand in the first small arc of the game, which takes place before a major glacial wave and, after that, this number will increase, and here, the new mechanics, new challenges start to appear.
 

Many systems

The calamities here do not stop, along with our decisions, we will have to decide where to focus our attention. To explain, here we will continue to search for food and sources of energy, such as oil and coal to power the generator, however, as we are constantly expanding, unlike in the first game, an idea of a democratic society is already being formed, where people start to have opinions about your decisions.

In this sense, and for me, this is the great novelty and charm of Frostpunk 2, we will find a city divided between factions and completely different ideals and it is part of the process to please some and displease others, trying, of course, to always seek the support of the majority to continue as the ruler of the city (particularly, this point reaches immense genius, with a complexity that borders on the absurd). For this, it will be possible to create a town hall, where debates will take place, and also a research center, which will greatly facilitate our life, reducing material costs and increasing the speed of others.

In addition, create food fields, to extract food, extraction field, to extract coal, oil, and others, create houses, for the inhabitants and, finally, industrial field, with a new need that emerged, the need for material goods, without them, people start to steal and this will bring trust issues in your community.

Finally, besides these mechanics, nothing caught my attention so much that it is worth the urgency of comment, as we are an expanding society, it is natural that resources run out over time around us, this is how an extractive society works. In this perspective, we will have to explore new areas and create colonies, in order to ensure subsistence for a longer time.
 

Balance

When I say that decisions are not easy to make, I don't just mean to talk about the game itself, I mean, the policies here are so brutal that they will require something beyond the virtual world, but for the individual. I mean, no one is watching you, right? what prevents you from actually putting into practice the things you believe in, without having to justify to anyone the reasons. And it's no use telling yourself 'it's for a greater good', because, again, there's no one watching you, here it will be you for yourself.

So, why not turn off the generator one day, letting people die sick or cold, with the goal of producing more food that will be needed in 2 or 3 days? The decisions here go straight to your morality and challenge all your beliefs. But wait, I don't think anyone will be good or bad regardless of the policy you decide to follow, but here the developers have created a complexity the size of the real world and that must be noticed and pointed out.

At times, choosing between one and the other is not only common, but also necessary, what truly intrigues me is: what will you choose? Reduce the workers from the extraction factory to put in food production? Or the opposite? and what about the faction you will support? what will it be?
 

Not just a simulator

Of course, Frostpunk 2 is not just a challenging story with gameplay that is more than interesting, there are other points that are definitely worth mentioning. First, and this goes beyond the field of recommendation, becoming almost an obligation, the tutorial is there to be used! Even for the most experienced players, there are many mechanics that are worth taking a look at before exploring the world outside, playing by luck may be a huge mistake that will end up killing many inhabitants of New London.

Furthermore, the graphics have undergone considerable evolution and, with better optimization to be achieved after the release, it may be another great charm of this creation. The cutscenes are full of details and, even from a distance, it is possible to notice the subtleties of the constructions (it is also possible to zoom in on them for a better look). Finally, the sound system is very good, with a soundtrack suitable for the tense environment created and we will also have narrations of events in the middle of the gameplay.

We thank the PR team of 11bits who provided Frostpunk 2 and made the creation of this content possible.

Frostpunk 2 will be available on September 20, 2024 for PlayStation 5, macOS, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows.